If I am trying to compare the rapture and the crucifixion, then I have to point out that our focus is on one person, Jesus Christ, and why He went to the cross.
Let’s start this one off with a post that my wife recently found on Facebook.
Tracy Moss Philp posted this.
No baptism, no communion, no confirmation, no speaking in tongues, no mission trip, no volunteering, no financial gifts, and no church clothes. He couldn’t even bend his knees to pray. He didn’t say the sinner’s prayer and among other things, he was a thief. Jesus didn’t take way his pain, heal his body, or smite his scoffers. Yet, it was a thief who walked into paradise the same hour as Jesus simply by believing. He had nothing more to offer other than his belief that Jesus was who He said He was. No spin from brilliant theologians. No ego or arrogance. No shiny lights, skinny jeans, or crafty words. No haze machine, donuts, or coffee in the lobby. Just a naked dying man on a cross unable to even fold his hands to pray. The man on the middle cross said I could come! Not all will go. Not all will choose Him as Lord and Savior.
If someone were to challenge the salvation of the thief on the cross, the only adequate reply he could give is, “the Man on the middle cross said I could come!” That man was Jesus, and His mission was just beginning.
In both events, the rapture and the cross, there is a catching away. In Acts 1:9 we are told that Jesus was caught up into the clouds.
“And having said these things he was taken up, they beholding him , and a cloud received him out of their sight.” Acts 1:9 Darby
Paul also talked about Jesus being caught up.
“He that descended is the same who has also ascended up above all the heavens, that he might fill all things;” Ephesians 4:10 Darby
And finally, we the church, will be caught up.
“then *we*, the living who remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we shall be always with the Lord.”
1 Thessalonians 4:17 Darby
Jesus’ actions, that include the cross, ONLY happened because He also went into the heavenly temple and poured out His blood as a sacrifice for us, just as the high priests on earth were instructed to do, specifically to meet the demands of the law.
Christ went into the Most Holy Place. But it was not the man-made one, which is only a copy of the real one. He went into heaven, and he is there now before God to help us. The high priest enters the Most Holy Place once every year. He takes with him blood to offer. But he does not offer his own blood like Christ did. Christ went into heaven, but not to offer himself many times like the high priest offers blood again and again.
Hebrews 9:24-25 ERV
An interesting thought, which we talked about it in the previous post, how that “the law” was God’s moral standard.
All this horror associated with the cross was done to bring about salvation, an act in which He purchased humanity back from Satan (This process of buying us back is what the Apostle Paul labeled redemption.)
It was also the thing that brought forgiveness to all humanity.
As a side note, today’s date is 03/11/25 and there is a wanton slaughter of Alawite Muslims and Christians in Syria, not to mention the killings that are going on in Sudan, Nigeria, and many of the other Northern African nations.
So, even though there is a slaughter going on, they will not be judged at a “great white throne” for the murder of innocent people, no one will; they will, however, be judged during the seven years of God’s wrath for the blood they spilled.
So Christ was offered as a sacrifice one time to take away the sins of many people. And he will come a second time, but not to offer himself for sin. He will come the second time to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Hebrews 9:28 ERV
After Jesus goes through all the torture that surrounds the cross He bestows righteousness upon all who accept this salvation.
I spent a year driving around Southern California as I attempted to fix appliances. There is no way to avoid frequently being stuck in traffic, so I listened to the “Christian” radio station for encouragement. In doing that, I was reminded of the teaching “from the Cross to the Throne” associated with the faith movement and E.W. Kenyon. As the radio preacher talked about the “journey” that Jesus made during those three days my thoughts would flash back to scriptures I had become familiar with that validated this message. The message about the cross to the throne built my faith and understanding.
One of the speakers on the radio was Hank Hannegraf, “The Bible Answer Man”, and all he seemed to do was to berate the message about the cross to the throne; those that talked about it, and people like me who agreed with that message. I choose to believe that Hank started this radio program, all those years ago, with an honest heart, but he now spent most of his time criticizing those that listen to the message about what happened from the cross to the throne. He used to express how that merely teaching that Jesus went to hell was heresy. Not to worry, he is long since gone.
An aspect of your comparison and perhaps contrast was this statement. “Jesus ascended into hell to catch up the unredeemed spirits and graves opened.”
My response: I have no doubt that Jesus went into hell; I can know this because of passages like Revelation 1:18, where Jesus took the keys to death, hell, and the grave; that sounds like an overwhelming victory to me.
“I am the one who lives. I was dead, but look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Revelation 1:18 ERV
My wife’s father served his military duty in Europe during WW2. This calm, reserved man brought home a souvenir, a German trench knife. For the most part, the enemy did not simply hand over a weapon like this, it was typically taken by force. Now apply this understanding to Jesus obtaining the keys to death, hell, and the grave (as an alternate translation proclaims.) I cannot see Satan putting up an aggressive fight, however, the idea cannot be excluded and we gain our understanding of this from a recollection given by Daniel, the prophet. (Read Daniel 9,10, and you will see the angel Gabriel, as he came to give Daniel a message from God, had been hindered by a fallen angel that tried to prevent him from delivering this message. The angel Michael came to supplant Gabriel in the fight. So, it is possible that Jesus pulled the keys out of Satan’s hand.)
The following is a passage from the Torah, long before Jesus was born, that speaks of Jesus ascending and then leading former captives from the depths.
“You have ascended on high, You have taken captivity captive,…”
Psalms 68:18 LSV
Though we tend to give it no thought, Jesus’ death on the cross marked a dramatic shift in the chronology of God’s timeline. Our understanding comes from the parable that Jesus told about the beggar and the rich man; both of which were Jews, and both died about the same time. The Jewish audience must have gasped when Jesus described the rich man being in torment, as tradition taught that the rich man would have comfortable conditions in “paradise.” (The IVPBBC tells us that “Some details about the afterlife here are standard features of Jewish tradition;”)
Since Jesus was fulfilling a prophetic part of His actions by spending three days in the belly of the earth. (Here is another piece of Jewish understanding. Three days is a full 24-hour period, and any portion of two other days. Consider that the Sabbath begins at 3 o’clock pm. on the eve prior and ends at 3 o’clock pm on the day after. Jesus told the Pharisees that the only sign they were to get would be the Prophet Jonah, who spent 3 days in the belly of the great fish. That would mean that Jonah did not necessarily spend a full 72 hours in the belly of the fish.)
If Jesus did not go into Hades, then how could He make this statement?
“Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced; moreover, my body also will live in hope, because You will not abandon my soul to Sheol or let Your Holy One see decay.” Acts 2:26-27 TLV
The reference to “You” is directed to God, therefore, the writer is saying that God would NOT leave Jesus soul in Sheol. (Sheol is also known as Hades or hell.) If Jesus did not go to hell then such an assertion would be ludicrous.
The Apostle Paul validated Psalm 68:18 when he referenced this very passage in his letter to the church in Ephesus.
”…When He ascended on high, He led captives away,” Ephesians 4:8 BSB
Let’s consider this statement: “he led captivity captive.”
Dake’s commentary states that “the captives that were taken to heaven with Christ were the saints who had died from Abel to Christ, and who were held captive by Satan in paradise under the earth until Christ conquered death, hell, and the grave liberating them” (Heb_2:14-15.)
Here is a statement that you should have grasped. Becoming flesh and blood made Him vulnerable, at least momentarily, to hell.
Is that true?
There is a passage that tells us that God cannot be tempted with sin, but our understanding of Jesus informs us that He, too, is God.
Then what happened?
“For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” Hebrews 2:18 NKJV
Part of the answer lies in this statement.
“Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, ….”
Hebrews 2:17a NKJV
Made like His brethren?
That would be the Jews first and then us, with an exception. We were born into sin; it was passed down through Adam and Eve. Along with the drive to sin is the attached penalty of death. Jesus, as a fertilized egg from God, was implanted into the willing Mary, and she was merely the surrogate mother. Jesus was not born with the drive to sin nor the attached death penalty.
Then why did He have to die?
A payment for man’s treasonous actions against God had to be paid for with blood and the death of God. Jesus was God, but He set aside His majesty to be a common man, minus the human frailties associated with sin. And, since He came from God, He was God in the flesh.
“I and My Father are one.” John 10:30 NKJV
Did you ever notice that Jesus intentionally made a whip and drove the money changers and sellers out of the temple courts?
“And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.” John 2:14-15 NKJV
He did all this, and scripture tells us that He never once sinned. Fascinating.
“Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Hebrews 2:14-15 BSB
I was asked, “Was catching up the unredeemed spirits the only reason He went there?”
Hardly, but then you should have known that.
Ephesians 4:8-10 NKJV “Therefore He says: “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE, AND GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.” 9) (Now this, “HE ASCENDED”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10) He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.”
If I may speak freely, this wording, “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE,” makes no sense. It implies that Jesus took these captives from one captivity to another, which He did NOT. Several versions read just like this, but that does not make it correct. The Good News Bible tells us, “When He went up to the very heights, He took many captives with Him.” In a sense, these alternate translations are more explainable. The usage of the word many indicates that some were not entitled or chose not to go.
What kind of foolishness would motivate a response like that?
Because, even in “hell,” people still have the free will to choose. Consider this: Every righteous person who died prior to the cross waited for their redemption in the region of hades called paradise. Yes, that is a tremendous amount of people.
What of those who were not so righteous?
Ecclesiastes tells us that the dead know nothing, so as yet, they are not in the lake of fire.
“For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing.”
Ecclesiastes 9:5a TLV
This doesn’t really explain why there was some cognition of their surroundings when Jesus relayed the parable of the rich man and the beggar Lazarus.
Look at what Hebrews tells us.
“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” Hebrews 2:9 NKJV
While we must all taste death, the fear is supposed to be gone. If you are having fears about death, I must tell you that fear is a demon working off of a known weakness in you, and fear is a big problem for most of us.
Where did (they) go to suffer death?
Hell/Hades. The book of Revelation shows us that Jesus took the keys from Satan. I am sure that most perceive Jesus as struggling with Satan, but having God stand before you, would you fight?
“I am He who lives and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
Revelation 1:18 NKJV
Note how the NKJV translation uses the terms Hades and Death.
Death is the Greek word thanatos and means death both literally and figuratively.
Since we never really die, is it possible that death implies something else, like an eternal separation from God.?
It is possible.
While there are certainly souls lying in Hades, I contend that there is NO ONE in hell as yet. Ecclesiastes 9:5 tells us that the dead lie in silence until the final judgment, but we already talked about that. The final judgment only happens at the great white throne; and NO, not everyone before that throne goes to hell. (Read about the sheep and goats in Matthew 25.)
Hades, on the other hand, is “the place (state) of departed souls: – grave.” Strong’s
Some will sharply argue that there is a separation even today. In an effort to respond to this aggressiveness about the usage of the word hell, I give you Matthew 5:22, which says, “Whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” The CEV translation says, “And if you say that someone is worthless, you will be in danger of the fires of hell.”
Doesn’t this smell of road rage?
And if it is a crime in God’s eyes, then we are all guilty. So the word you did not see here in the Revelation, and a relatively common word that the Bible translators used, is hell.
Hell, is the Greek word geenna, pronounced gehenna.
“Gehenna, the basis for the word hell, was a place just outside the walls of Jerusalem, the valley of Hinnom. “This is the valley the idolatrous Israelites devoted formerly to the horrid worship of Moloch, 2Ki_16:3; 2Ch_28:3. In that worship, the ancient Jewish writers inform us, the idol of Moloch was of brass, adorned with a royal crown, having the head of a calf, and his arms extended as if to embrace anyone. When they offered children to him, they heated the statue within by a great fire, and when it was burning hot, they put the miserable child into his arms, where it was soon consumed by the heat; and, in order that the cries of the child might not be heard, they made a great noise with drums and other instruments about the idol.” (Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible.)
The place became a trash dump, burning constantly and smelled horrible.
The name Gehenna or the word hell are both indicative of everlasting punishment, and everlasting punishment is also understood to be eternal separation from God, which we see when people are finally cast into the lake of fire, which burns forever.
However, since one event changed everything – Jesus and the cross, “hell” also changed.
What changed in hades that day?
Remember the rich man and Lazarus, the poor Jewish beggar. Both died, and we find that the rich man is now in torment, and Lazarus, the former beggar, is being described as being comforted in Abraham’s bosom.
This parable is important because it, like the others, was bathed in Jewish tradition and in their understanding would have put the rich man in Abraham’s bosom merely because he was presumed to be righteous and was a devout Jew. To those hearing this parable, righteousness and riches went together.
Jesus, by His words and actions, undid that tradition.
I can say, by His words, because He told them that the system they expected to find in Hades was in opposition to what they believed. His actions were that He took the keys of death, hell, and the grave. In so doing, He removed Satan’s control and effectively removed the fear of death, and He eliminated this split system that we see in the Lazarus narrative.
Why did that happen?
Jesus became the serpent upon the pole that we are to look upon and live.
“And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” 6) So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. 7) Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8) Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten when he looks at it, shall live.” 9) So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.”
Numbers 21:5-9 NKJV
Another way to convey what Jesus did was to become sin.
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV
The benefit for the follower of Christ is that when someone dies now, having already looked upon Jesus, they are effectively into the arms of Jesus. Those who refuse to look upon Jesus, and this applies to those in captivity that day, are merely lying there asleep; they know nothing. They will be awakened and brought to judgment at the great white throne or, as many who are so entrenched in religious tradition will refuse to consider, the sheep and goat judgment of Matthew 25.
At the cross, all time changed, and the potential for all to have life in Him became available that day. Death is no longer to be feared.
So, these levels or separations that people see in hell were removed. Mind you, much of this so-called perception about hell came from the author Dante Alighieri and his book The Inferno, where he, as the author, created stages, levels, and varied punishments in hell, where he put corrupt politicians of his day, alongside corrupt leaders from the Catholic church.
The person who asked me these questions stated, “Jesus ascended into hell to catch up the unredeemed spirits…”
I am sure you mean to say descended, but that is irrelevant. Since Jesus preached to the captives, one might assume that everyone there was a captive, but we cannot yet assume that anyone there was redeemed.
I came to this understanding because there was no one in Christ. This, too, is an assumption, seeing as He had not gone up to the Father yet, and the Holy Spirit had not come.
“Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ” John 20:16-17 NKJV
Once Jesus did this, offered His blood on the heavenly altar for the remission of our sins and those He bore on His own body, then He could be touched.
“For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
Hebrews 9:13-14 NKJV
The Apostle Paul spoke of this very thing.
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”
Ephesians 1:7 NKJV
And we have been sanctified through His blood.
“By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Hebrews 10:10 NKJV
And though it seems too simplistic, I will say it, there was no church to make converts.
So, does the rich man, who was now in torment, fall under the category of unredeemed?
The answer to this question must have driven the Jewish audience crazy. I suspect that was a part of Jesus’ intent. If someone fell under the category of redeemed, I would imagine the beggar Lazarus was your man.
But what about King David?
You should not be able to give him the righteous award as he was quite the scoundrel when it came to Bathsheba.
How about King Saul?
This man had the Spirit of God on him and lost not only it but his mind as well.
I suppose the point here is our inability to determine who is righteous and deserving of God’s redeeming grace and who should remain under punishment; this is precisely why the forgiveness of sin is extended to everyone, including Saul and Judas (Yes, I said Judas. I threw him into the mix because I do see repentance in his words and actions toward the end.
Now, to say that someone has unforgivably condemned themselves to hell,
- prematurely judges that person and
- moves us into the category of being a judge, and that is NOT our job, as all judgment has been given unto the Son, NOT YOU. Read John 5:22.)
Imagine what Jesus must have preached to these “captives.”
Could there have been some who turned Him down?
Any answers we have to this question are pure conjecture on our part, seeing as we have no definitive answer.
“People previously dead were alive and walking among the living.”
“The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After Jesus’ resurrection, when they had come out of the tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many people.”
Matthew 27:52-53 BSB
Who were these people?
Perhaps the answer as to who these people, coming out of their entombments, is this:
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”
John 11:25 NKJV
We do NOT know who these people were except that they were called saints by the Apostle John. Perhaps John made a broad assumption. The question you should be asking is, what did Jesus preach to these “captives” who were lying in silence?
Your best guess would be to say that He preached the good news, which is defined as life, freedom, hope, and eternity with the Father is now available, and you can have all that if you follow me. If the message was merely life, it would appear that many believed and, therefore, emerged from their grave sites.
The first thing we deal with when we look at Matthew 27:52-53 is the number of people who emerged from their tombs. This narrative is one of the major events that solidifies our apologetic as we defend our belief that Jesus is real and His word is credible. This is NOT the only piece of evidence, and books like “Evidence that Demands a Verdict” by Josh McDowell are filled with validations of God’s word.
The Greek word translated as many is polys, which means great in magnitude or quantity.
It is difficult to even imagine, as Jerusalem suddenly became inundated by people who had previously been dead. (I also assume it was a localized event, but we have NOTHING to tell us that it only happened in Jerusalem.)
To make this a bit more interesting, let’s discuss Lazarus, Jesus’ friend who died. (Read John chapter 11.) So many struggle to explain why Jesus waited four days to come and raise him up. The reason lies in the Jewish tradition that says the soul leaves the body after three days. Jesus waited that long to ensure that these religious zealots could not say that what Jesus did was easy or a cheat because Lazarus’ soul was still in his body. Add to this argument the fact that Jesus used the Prophet Jonah to describe what He would do. Jonah, too, was detailed as having been in the belly of the fish for three days. The time frame here is physiologically beyond the 4,305 minutes in which Jonah would have scientifically been declared dead. And yet, traditional church beliefs want to argue that Jonah was alive through the entire process.
“Recently…, hearing that the (“dead in Christ will rise first “), I immediately thought we who are born again are not dead in Christ even after we die in flesh.”
“Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 NKJV
Born. gennao. Meaning: to be begotten. Metaphorically of God making Christ the center of your life. Regenerated.
Again, It is the Greek word anōthen and means from above, anew. A second time, once more.
Paul, writing to the church in Corinth, discusses this transition that we, as corruptible mortals, must undergo. We don’t talk about this transition that we have to make to cross over to heaven because it is death, and death makes people squirm because they fear death. As I have pointed out, we no longer have to fear death, so let’s dive in.
Becoming “born again” does NOT kill the flesh or make sin disappear. It is like pushing the reset button on your spirit, but you cannot eliminate that one flawed processing chip. If you could go and buy another, you would find that they all used that one faulty chip; therefore, the machine will eventually fail in a similar manner.
So, assuming that you realize that you were born from above and are made in the image of the Father, then you know that this all happens independently of death.
Look at 1 Corinthians 15:50-53, and you will see things like flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15:50-53 NKJV
Well, guess what?
If you are reading this, you are flesh and blood. It would seem that these air-breathing bodies cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
So, what’s the workaround?
These bodies have to die, and No, that is NOT your job; it is God’s, and this is part of the MYSTERY that Paul speaks of. As you can see above, we will be changed in the twinkling of an eye.
Surprise, you will most likely shed this corrupted, mortal body as you migrate upward. Those dead people, believers, will have already gone through this and will pass us by momentarily as we put on our immortality.
I keep thinking about the guy who died but came back to life. One of the dominant things he could remember was that he felt a good site better while he was in heaven.
“So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.”
1 Corinthians 15:54 NKJV
Our being in Christ Jesus is a product of our simplistic faith in Jesus Christ, and we will never become separated from this life that we have in Christ, even if it involves death.
Here are a few verses to help strengthen your knowledge of Him.
“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:11
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26
“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” Colossians 1:28
Put something like the Blue Letter Bible app on your phone and then do a search for “in Christ Jesus,” you will find a vast number of passages that may help to assist you in your understanding, and that will help you hold on to the truth that you, because of your belief are in Christ, and never to be separated.
A part of your challenge was “… Who might qualify as dead in Christ?”
Anyone who has come to a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ and died.
Before the cross, no one could come to a knowledge of Jesus Christ. However, two people in the New Testament challenge my understanding of how we know Jesus Christ:
Simeon – the old but devout and holy man that the Spirit led to come to the temple at the exact moment that Joseph and Mary brought Jesus for His bris – circumcision.
The other person was Anna – the elderly prophetess.
These two spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Now, consider that Jesus lived for 33 more years.
Did Simeon and Anna die and go to the Father or Hades, the place of departed souls?
Because of their age, it is a safe assumption that they soon died. As I just mentioned, Jesus lived on for 33 more years, so Simeon and Anna, both of which appear to be righteous, would have rested in Abraham’s proverbial bosom until Jesus came and took the keys from Satan. Hades may have been the holding place for both of them, not to mention a few others that God pronounced as righteous in the Old Testament. On the day Jesus showed up in Hades, their location changed as He offered them a one-way ticket into the Father’s arms by preaching to the captives.
Consider, if they were righteous, as Jesus was, then Satan holding them there in Hades would have been an illegal move on his part. If Satan held them, they were captives until Jesus set them free. At that moment in time, they became the dead in Christ.
In the statements above, I focused on qualifications. Now, let’s define what it is to be “dead in Christ.”
Search for the term dead in Christ; it only comes up once, 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16 NKJV
Dead is the Greek word nekros, which means corpse (literally dead). The Word Study Dictionary defines it as a deceased person.
Although I am not dead now, it is apparent that death is required. Seeing as life is vital for the work of God. (I am scratching my head as I say that.) I suspect that even God sees a purpose for our being born, as it allows for our gifts and free choice to Worship the creator – God. But flesh carries with it a problem, as the Apostle Paul told us that flesh and blood CANNOT inherit the kingdom of God.
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.” 1 Corinthians 15:50 NKJV
This air-breathing body is corrupted because it carries a broken genome that drives our selfish impulses – the impulse to sin. (I say it this way because it is the only thing that makes any sense.) and Heaven has no corruption in it, which is why flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. So, we, in these bodies, cannot enter into heaven. Obviously, something will have to change, and we will shed these earth suits. But until then, Jesus gives us the right to consider ourselves dead to sin. I get to practice that one daily.
“I surmise that those pre-crucifixion believers had not been redeemed until that day.”
It is often difficult to see some of these characters as righteous. Samson is called righteous, but he did many things outside of what we are told was God’s will. Strangely, it turns out it was God’s will, but we could barely see it until the last page of the narrative.
Lot was willing to give his daughters to the rabble pounding on his door, and then the angels had to drag Lot and his family out of town to safety. You, of course, noticed that the young men who had been engaged to Lot’s daughters did not come with them and died in the fires.
And what about the guy I consider the biker of the Bible, Jephthah? God called them all righteous.
When we use the word redeemed, there is a mountain of religious rules and regulations attached to it, and there is the assumption that we will walk away from the situation with a bright, shiny face. I can tell you that I walked away from a few things while dragging my exhausted behind out of there, and my face was NOT shining. I can look back now and see how God called me righteous, but few may have picked up on God’s plan and hope for me.
“They were the dead in Christ that rose first.”
As I pointed out above, it would seem that the people God called righteous were illegally held captive against their will. Since Christ preached to the captives, He changed their status to being in Christ. Thank God they were already dead because they got to rise first. I have nothing more than what I have proposed here to prove that, but what a great story.
“Where does that leave us? …”
If your life is hidden in Christ, then, at the moment, you are ALIVE in Christ and living inside an earth suit, and you get to deal with a thousand different feelings, most of which were a gift from God. Obviously, Satan managed to corrupt those feelings, but soon, we will shed those suits, put on our new robes, and spend eternity with the Father.
“The end will see a battle in which God destroys all his enemies…”
Revelation 19 shows us one of the last great battles, where Jesus comes riding back on a white horse, and He will have a sword coming out of His mouth. He is followed by the saints of heaven. This sword is the Word of God but notice something; you never see Him swing it, nor do you see the armies of heaven engaged in battle. That Word does all the killing and kills all who choose to fight against Him in seconds.
If He kills all infidels, who would be left to rule over?
Think about this: After killing the combatants, we are told that He will rule over the nations for a thousand years. I have used words like chose and combatants. I did so because not everybody chooses to fight and, therefore, lives on in the 1000 years.
“And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.” Revelation 21:24 NKJV)
The New Testament has the Old as its foundation, so here is a passage from the Old.
“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore. O house of Jacob, come and let us walk In the light of the LORD.”
Isaiah 2:2-5 NKJV)
He and those slaughtered saints from the seven years will sit on thrones in judgment during the 1000 years. How appropriate.
“Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4 NLT)
Okay, that battle is over. Who is thrown into the lake of fire?
Satan – for 1000 years, and the only two humans there, the antichrist and the false prophet; that’s it.
“And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.”
Revelation 19:20 NLT)
“and binds them a thousand years.”
No one human is bound by God.
Remember, all sins were forgiven on the cross, so NO ONE is being judged for sin. Now, there will be a time of judgment, but that judgment is based upon what you did with Jesus, and that happens at the great white throne (Which is the same judgment seat that we see when He judges between the sheep and the goats of Matthew 25. This is the only place and time this will happen.
Fast forward a thousand years. What happens next?
Satan is released and once again deceives the nations. Those poor fools, many of them, will attempt to surround the Holy City (The 1500-mile square city where all the righteous live) with the hope of killing us, Jesus, and God. God, on the other hand, kills all who join in this stunt with a quick fire bath. Those dead people join all the other dead from the beginning of time who have not gone up in the rapture (this is where Matthew 25 kicks in), and some are shown mercy (This group receiving mercy is probably not among those that Satan deceived at the end of the 1000 years.) Those not afforded mercy are then judged and thrown into the lake of fire, where they are forgotten and permanently separated from God.
Notice that I am NOT taking the time to explain how the nations would then enter the eternal kingdom. Keep in mind that they DO NOT get to bring their broken earth suits into God’s kingdom. Hint, there are those trees that provide healing for the nations, that line the river that comes from under the throne of God.
After the dust settles, all the rest of us join Jesus and the Father in eternity, never to be troubled again.
If I am trying to compare the rapture and the crucifixion, then I have to point out that our focus is on one person, Jesus Christ, and why He went to the cross.
Let’s start this one off with a post that my wife recently found on Facebook.
Tracy Moss Philp posted this.
No baptism, no communion, no confirmation, no speaking in tongues, no mission trip, no volunteering, no financial gifts, and no church clothes. He couldn’t even bend his knees to pray. He didn’t say the sinner’s prayer and among other things, he was a thief. Jesus didn’t take way his pain, heal his body, or smite his scoffers. Yet, it was a thief who walked into paradise the same hour as Jesus simply by believing. He had nothing more to offer other than his belief that Jesus was who He said He was. No spin from brilliant theologians. No ego or arrogance. No shiny lights, skinny jeans, or crafty words. No haze machine, donuts, or coffee in the lobby. Just a naked dying man on a cross unable to even fold his hands to pray. The man on the middle cross said I could come! Not all will go. Not all will choose Him as Lord and Savior.
If someone were to challenge the salvation of the thief on the cross, the only adequate reply he could give is, “the Man on the middle cross said I could come!” That man was Jesus, and His mission was just beginning.
In both events, the rapture and the cross, there is a catching away. In Acts 1:9 we are told that Jesus was caught up into the clouds.
“And having said these things he was taken up, they beholding him , and a cloud received him out of their sight.” Acts 1:9 Darby
Paul also talked about Jesus being caught up.
“He that descended is the same who has also ascended up above all the heavens, that he might fill all things;” Ephesians 4:10 Darby
And finally, we the church, will be caught up.
“then *we*, the living who remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we shall be always with the Lord.”
1 Thessalonians 4:17 Darby
Jesus’ actions, that include the cross, ONLY happened because He also went into the heavenly temple and poured out His blood as a sacrifice for us, just as the high priests on earth were instructed to do, specifically to meet the demands of the law.
Christ went into the Most Holy Place. But it was not the man-made one, which is only a copy of the real one. He went into heaven, and he is there now before God to help us. The high priest enters the Most Holy Place once every year. He takes with him blood to offer. But he does not offer his own blood like Christ did. Christ went into heaven, but not to offer himself many times like the high priest offers blood again and again.
Hebrews 9:24-25 ERV
An interesting thought, which we talked about it in the previous post, how that “the law” was God’s moral standard.
All this horror associated with the cross was done to bring about salvation, an act in which He purchased humanity back from Satan (This process of buying us back is what the Apostle Paul labeled redemption.)
It was also the thing that brought forgiveness to all humanity.
As a side note, today’s date is 03/11/25 and there is a wanton slaughter of Alawite Muslims and Christians in Syria, not to mention the killings that are going on in Sudan, Nigeria, and many of the other Northern African nations.
So, even though there is a slaughter going on, they will not be judged at a “great white throne” for the murder of innocent people, no one will; they will, however, be judged during the seven years of God’s wrath for the blood they spilled.
So Christ was offered as a sacrifice one time to take away the sins of many people. And he will come a second time, but not to offer himself for sin. He will come the second time to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Hebrews 9:28 ERV
After Jesus goes through all the torture that surrounds the cross He bestows righteousness upon all who accept this salvation.
I spent a year driving around Southern California as I attempted to fix appliances. There is no way to avoid frequently being stuck in traffic, so I listened to the “Christian” radio station for encouragement. In doing that, I was reminded of the teaching “from the Cross to the Throne” associated with the faith movement and E.W. Kenyon. As the radio preacher talked about the “journey” that Jesus made during those three days my thoughts would flash back to scriptures I had become familiar with that validated this message. The message about the cross to the throne built my faith and understanding.
One of the speakers on the radio was Hank Hannegraf, “The Bible Answer Man”, and all he seemed to do was to berate the message about the cross to the throne; those that talked about it, and people like me who agreed with that message. I choose to believe that Hank started this radio program, all those years ago, with an honest heart, but he now spent most of his time criticizing those that listen to the message about what happened from the cross to the throne. He used to express how that merely teaching that Jesus went to hell was heresy. Not to worry, he is long since gone.
An aspect of your comparison and perhaps contrast was this statement. “Jesus ascended into hell to catch up the unredeemed spirits and graves opened.”
My response: I have no doubt that Jesus went into hell; I can know this because of passages like Revelation 1:18, where Jesus took the keys to death, hell, and the grave; that sounds like an overwhelming victory to me.
“I am the one who lives. I was dead, but look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Revelation 1:18 ERV
My wife’s father served his military duty in Europe during WW2. This calm, reserved man brought home a souvenir, a German trench knife. For the most part, the enemy did not simply hand over a weapon like this, it was typically taken by force. Now apply this understanding to Jesus obtaining the keys to death, hell, and the grave (as an alternate translation proclaims.) I cannot see Satan putting up an aggressive fight, however, the idea cannot be excluded and we gain our understanding of this from a recollection given by Daniel, the prophet. (Read Daniel 9,10, and you will see the angel Gabriel, as he came to give Daniel a message from God, had been hindered by a fallen angel that tried to prevent him from delivering this message. The angel Michael came to supplant Gabriel in the fight. So, it is possible that Jesus pulled the keys out of Satan’s hand.)
The following is a passage from the Torah, long before Jesus was born, that speaks of Jesus ascending and then leading former captives from the depths.
“You have ascended on high, You have taken captivity captive,…”
Psalms 68:18 LSV
Though we tend to give it no thought, Jesus’ death on the cross marked a dramatic shift in the chronology of God’s timeline. Our understanding comes from the parable that Jesus told about the beggar and the rich man; both of which were Jews, and both died about the same time. The Jewish audience must have gasped when Jesus described the rich man being in torment, as tradition taught that the rich man would have comfortable conditions in “paradise.” (The IVPBBC tells us that “Some details about the afterlife here are standard features of Jewish tradition;”)
Since Jesus was fulfilling a prophetic part of His actions by spending three days in the belly of the earth. (Here is another piece of Jewish understanding. Three days is a full 24-hour period, and any portion of two other days. Consider that the Sabbath begins at 3 o’clock pm. on the eve prior and ends at 3 o’clock pm on the day after. Jesus told the Pharisees that the only sign they were to get would be the Prophet Jonah, who spent 3 days in the belly of the great fish. That would mean that Jonah did not necessarily spend a full 72 hours in the belly of the fish.)
If Jesus did not go into Hades, then how could He make this statement?
“Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced; moreover, my body also will live in hope, because You will not abandon my soul to Sheol or let Your Holy One see decay.” Acts 2:26-27 TLV
The reference to “You” is directed to God, therefore, the writer is saying that God would NOT leave Jesus soul in Sheol. (Sheol is also known as Hades or hell.) If Jesus did not go to hell then such an assertion would be ludicrous.
The Apostle Paul validated Psalm 68:18 when he referenced this very passage in his letter to the church in Ephesus.
”…When He ascended on high, He led captives away,” Ephesians 4:8 BSB
Let’s consider this statement: “he led captivity captive.”
Dake’s commentary states that “the captives that were taken to heaven with Christ were the saints who had died from Abel to Christ, and who were held captive by Satan in paradise under the earth until Christ conquered death, hell, and the grave liberating them” (Heb_2:14-15.)
Here is a statement that you should have grasped. Becoming flesh and blood made Him vulnerable, at least momentarily, to hell.
Is that true?
There is a passage that tells us that God cannot be tempted with sin, but our understanding of Jesus informs us that He, too, is God.
Then what happened?
“For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” Hebrews 2:18 NKJV
Part of the answer lies in this statement.
“Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, ….”
Hebrews 2:17a NKJV
Made like His brethren?
That would be the Jews first and then us, with an exception. We were born into sin; it was passed down through Adam and Eve. Along with the drive to sin is the attached penalty of death. Jesus, as a fertilized egg from God, was implanted into the willing Mary, and she was merely the surrogate mother. Jesus was not born with the drive to sin nor the attached death penalty.
Then why did He have to die?
A payment for man’s treasonous actions against God had to be paid for with blood and the death of God. Jesus was God, but He set aside His majesty to be a common man, minus the human frailties associated with sin. And, since He came from God, He was God in the flesh.
“I and My Father are one.” John 10:30 NKJV
Did you ever notice that Jesus intentionally made a whip and drove the money changers and sellers out of the temple courts?
“And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.” John 2:14-15 NKJV
He did all this, and scripture tells us that He never once sinned. Fascinating.
“Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Hebrews 2:14-15 BSB
I was asked, “Was catching up the unredeemed spirits the only reason He went there?”
Hardly, but then you should have known that.
Ephesians 4:8-10 NKJV “Therefore He says: “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE, AND GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.” 9) (Now this, “HE ASCENDED”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10) He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.”
If I may speak freely, this wording, “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE,” makes no sense. It implies that Jesus took these captives from one captivity to another, which He did NOT. Several versions read just like this, but that does not make it correct. The Good News Bible tells us, “When He went up to the very heights, He took many captives with Him.” In a sense, these alternate translations are more explainable. The usage of the word many indicates that some were not entitled or chose not to go.
What kind of foolishness would motivate a response like that?
Because, even in “hell,” people still have the free will to choose. Consider this: Every righteous person who died prior to the cross waited for their redemption in the region of hades called paradise. Yes, that is a tremendous amount of people.
What of those who were not so righteous?
Ecclesiastes tells us that the dead know nothing, so as yet, they are not in the lake of fire.
“For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing.”
Ecclesiastes 9:5a TLV
This doesn’t really explain why there was some cognition of their surroundings when Jesus relayed the parable of the rich man and the beggar Lazarus.
Look at what Hebrews tells us.
“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” Hebrews 2:9 NKJV
While we must all taste death, the fear is supposed to be gone. If you are having fears about death, I must tell you that fear is a demon working off of a known weakness in you, and fear is a big problem for most of us.
Where did (they) go to suffer death?
Hell/Hades. The book of Revelation shows us that Jesus took the keys from Satan. I am sure that most perceive Jesus as struggling with Satan, but having God stand before you, would you fight?
“I am He who lives and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
Revelation 1:18 NKJV
Note how the NKJV translation uses the terms Hades and Death.
Death is the Greek word thanatos and means death both literally and figuratively.
Since we never really die, is it possible that death implies something else, like an eternal separation from God.?
It is possible.
While there are certainly souls lying in Hades, I contend that there is NO ONE in hell as yet. Ecclesiastes 9:5 tells us that the dead lie in silence until the final judgment, but we already talked about that. The final judgment only happens at the great white throne; and NO, not everyone before that throne goes to hell. (Read about the sheep and goats in Matthew 25.)
Hades, on the other hand, is “the place (state) of departed souls: – grave.” Strong’s
Some will sharply argue that there is a separation even today. In an effort to respond to this aggressiveness about the usage of the word hell, I give you Matthew 5:22, which says, “Whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” The CEV translation says, “And if you say that someone is worthless, you will be in danger of the fires of hell.”
Doesn’t this smell of road rage?
And if it is a crime in God’s eyes, then we are all guilty. So the word you did not see here in the Revelation, and a relatively common word that the Bible translators used, is hell.
Hell, is the Greek word geenna, pronounced gehenna.
“Gehenna, the basis for the word hell, was a place just outside the walls of Jerusalem, the valley of Hinnom. “This is the valley the idolatrous Israelites devoted formerly to the horrid worship of Moloch, 2Ki_16:3; 2Ch_28:3. In that worship, the ancient Jewish writers inform us, the idol of Moloch was of brass, adorned with a royal crown, having the head of a calf, and his arms extended as if to embrace anyone. When they offered children to him, they heated the statue within by a great fire, and when it was burning hot, they put the miserable child into his arms, where it was soon consumed by the heat; and, in order that the cries of the child might not be heard, they made a great noise with drums and other instruments about the idol.” (Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible.)
The place became a trash dump, burning constantly and smelled horrible.
The name Gehenna or the word hell are both indicative of everlasting punishment, and everlasting punishment is also understood to be eternal separation from God, which we see when people are finally cast into the lake of fire, which burns forever.
However, since one event changed everything – Jesus and the cross, “hell” also changed.
What changed in hades that day?
Remember the rich man and Lazarus, the poor Jewish beggar. Both died, and we find that the rich man is now in torment, and Lazarus, the former beggar, is being described as being comforted in Abraham’s bosom.
This parable is important because it, like the others, was bathed in Jewish tradition and in their understanding would have put the rich man in Abraham’s bosom merely because he was presumed to be righteous and was a devout Jew. To those hearing this parable, righteousness and riches went together.
Jesus, by His words and actions, undid that tradition.
I can say, by His words, because He told them that the system they expected to find in Hades was in opposition to what they believed. His actions were that He took the keys of death, hell, and the grave. In so doing, He removed Satan’s control and effectively removed the fear of death, and He eliminated this split system that we see in the Lazarus narrative.
Why did that happen?
Jesus became the serpent upon the pole that we are to look upon and live.
“And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” 6) So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. 7) Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8) Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten when he looks at it, shall live.” 9) So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.”
Numbers 21:5-9 NKJV
Another way to convey what Jesus did was to become sin.
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV
The benefit for the follower of Christ is that when someone dies now, having already looked upon Jesus, they are effectively into the arms of Jesus. Those who refuse to look upon Jesus, and this applies to those in captivity that day, are merely lying there asleep; they know nothing. They will be awakened and brought to judgment at the great white throne or, as many who are so entrenched in religious tradition will refuse to consider, the sheep and goat judgment of Matthew 25.
At the cross, all time changed, and the potential for all to have life in Him became available that day. Death is no longer to be feared.
So, these levels or separations that people see in hell were removed. Mind you, much of this so-called perception about hell came from the author Dante Alighieri and his book The Inferno, where he, as the author, created stages, levels, and varied punishments in hell, where he put corrupt politicians of his day, alongside corrupt leaders from the Catholic church.
The person who asked me these questions stated, “Jesus ascended into hell to catch up the unredeemed spirits…”
I am sure you mean to say descended, but that is irrelevant. Since Jesus preached to the captives, one might assume that everyone there was a captive, but we cannot yet assume that anyone there was redeemed.
I came to this understanding because there was no one in Christ. This, too, is an assumption, seeing as He had not gone up to the Father yet, and the Holy Spirit had not come.
“Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ” John 20:16-17 NKJV
Once Jesus did this, offered His blood on the heavenly altar for the remission of our sins and those He bore on His own body, then He could be touched.
“For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
Hebrews 9:13-14 NKJV
The Apostle Paul spoke of this very thing.
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”
Ephesians 1:7 NKJV
And we have been sanctified through His blood.
“By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Hebrews 10:10 NKJV
And though it seems too simplistic, I will say it, there was no church to make converts.
So, does the rich man, who was now in torment, fall under the category of unredeemed?
The answer to this question must have driven the Jewish audience crazy. I suspect that was a part of Jesus’ intent. If someone fell under the category of redeemed, I would imagine the beggar Lazarus was your man.
But what about King David?
You should not be able to give him the righteous award as he was quite the scoundrel when it came to Bathsheba.
How about King Saul?
This man had the Spirit of God on him and lost not only it but his mind as well.
I suppose the point here is our inability to determine who is righteous and deserving of God’s redeeming grace and who should remain under punishment; this is precisely why the forgiveness of sin is extended to everyone, including Saul and Judas (Yes, I said Judas. I threw him into the mix because I do see repentance in his words and actions toward the end.
Now, to say that someone has unforgivably condemned themselves to hell,
- prematurely judges that person and
- moves us into the category of being a judge, and that is NOT our job, as all judgment has been given unto the Son, NOT YOU. Read John 5:22.)
Imagine what Jesus must have preached to these “captives.”
Could there have been some who turned Him down?
Any answers we have to this question are pure conjecture on our part, seeing as we have no definitive answer.
“People previously dead were alive and walking among the living.”
“The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After Jesus’ resurrection, when they had come out of the tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many people.”
Matthew 27:52-53 BSB
Who were these people?
Perhaps the answer as to who these people, coming out of their entombments, is this:
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”
John 11:25 NKJV
We do NOT know who these people were except that they were called saints by the Apostle John. Perhaps John made a broad assumption. The question you should be asking is, what did Jesus preach to these “captives” who were lying in silence?
Your best guess would be to say that He preached the good news, which is defined as life, freedom, hope, and eternity with the Father is now available, and you can have all that if you follow me. If the message was merely life, it would appear that many believed and, therefore, emerged from their grave sites.
The first thing we deal with when we look at Matthew 27:52-53 is the number of people who emerged from their tombs. This narrative is one of the major events that solidifies our apologetic as we defend our belief that Jesus is real and His word is credible. This is NOT the only piece of evidence, and books like “Evidence that Demands a Verdict” by Josh McDowell are filled with validations of God’s word.
The Greek word translated as many is polys, which means great in magnitude or quantity.
It is difficult to even imagine, as Jerusalem suddenly became inundated by people who had previously been dead. (I also assume it was a localized event, but we have NOTHING to tell us that it only happened in Jerusalem.)
To make this a bit more interesting, let’s discuss Lazarus, Jesus’ friend who died. (Read John chapter 11.) So many struggle to explain why Jesus waited four days to come and raise him up. The reason lies in the Jewish tradition that says the soul leaves the body after three days. Jesus waited that long to ensure that these religious zealots could not say that what Jesus did was easy or a cheat because Lazarus’ soul was still in his body. Add to this argument the fact that Jesus used the Prophet Jonah to describe what He would do. Jonah, too, was detailed as having been in the belly of the fish for three days. The time frame here is physiologically beyond the 4,305 minutes in which Jonah would have scientifically been declared dead. And yet, traditional church beliefs want to argue that Jonah was alive through the entire process.
“Recently…, hearing that the (“dead in Christ will rise first “), I immediately thought we who are born again are not dead in Christ even after we die in flesh.”
“Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 NKJV
Born. gennao. Meaning: to be begotten. Metaphorically of God making Christ the center of your life. Regenerated.
Again, It is the Greek word anōthen and means from above, anew. A second time, once more.
Paul, writing to the church in Corinth, discusses this transition that we, as corruptible mortals, must undergo. We don’t talk about this transition that we have to make to cross over to heaven because it is death, and death makes people squirm because they fear death. As I have pointed out, we no longer have to fear death, so let’s dive in.
Becoming “born again” does NOT kill the flesh or make sin disappear. It is like pushing the reset button on your spirit, but you cannot eliminate that one flawed processing chip. If you could go and buy another, you would find that they all used that one faulty chip; therefore, the machine will eventually fail in a similar manner.
So, assuming that you realize that you were born from above and are made in the image of the Father, then you know that this all happens independently of death.
Look at 1 Corinthians 15:50-53, and you will see things like flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15:50-53 NKJV
Well, guess what?
If you are reading this, you are flesh and blood. It would seem that these air-breathing bodies cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
So, what’s the workaround?
These bodies have to die, and No, that is NOT your job; it is God’s, and this is part of the MYSTERY that Paul speaks of. As you can see above, we will be changed in the twinkling of an eye.
Surprise, you will most likely shed this corrupted, mortal body as you migrate upward. Those dead people, believers, will have already gone through this and will pass us by momentarily as we put on our immortality.
I keep thinking about the guy who died but came back to life. One of the dominant things he could remember was that he felt a good site better while he was in heaven.
“So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.”
1 Corinthians 15:54 NKJV
Our being in Christ Jesus is a product of our simplistic faith in Jesus Christ, and we will never become separated from this life that we have in Christ, even if it involves death.
Here are a few verses to help strengthen your knowledge of Him.
“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:11
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26
“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” Colossians 1:28
Put something like the Blue Letter Bible app on your phone and then do a search for “in Christ Jesus,” you will find a vast number of passages that may help to assist you in your understanding, and that will help you hold on to the truth that you, because of your belief are in Christ, and never to be separated.
A part of your challenge was “… Who might qualify as dead in Christ?”
Anyone who has come to a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ and died.
Before the cross, no one could come to a knowledge of Jesus Christ. However, two people in the New Testament challenge my understanding of how we know Jesus Christ:
Simeon – the old but devout and holy man that the Spirit led to come to the temple at the exact moment that Joseph and Mary brought Jesus for His bris – circumcision.
The other person was Anna – the elderly prophetess.
These two spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Now, consider that Jesus lived for 33 more years.
Did Simeon and Anna die and go to the Father or Hades, the place of departed souls?
Because of their age, it is a safe assumption that they soon died. As I just mentioned, Jesus lived on for 33 more years, so Simeon and Anna, both of which appear to be righteous, would have rested in Abraham’s proverbial bosom until Jesus came and took the keys from Satan. Hades may have been the holding place for both of them, not to mention a few others that God pronounced as righteous in the Old Testament. On the day Jesus showed up in Hades, their location changed as He offered them a one-way ticket into the Father’s arms by preaching to the captives.
Consider, if they were righteous, as Jesus was, then Satan holding them there in Hades would have been an illegal move on his part. If Satan held them, they were captives until Jesus set them free. At that moment in time, they became the dead in Christ.
In the statements above, I focused on qualifications. Now, let’s define what it is to be “dead in Christ.”
Search for the term dead in Christ; it only comes up once, 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16 NKJV
Dead is the Greek word nekros, which means corpse (literally dead). The Word Study Dictionary defines it as a deceased person.
Although I am not dead now, it is apparent that death is required. Seeing as life is vital for the work of God. (I am scratching my head as I say that.) I suspect that even God sees a purpose for our being born, as it allows for our gifts and free choice to Worship the creator – God. But flesh carries with it a problem, as the Apostle Paul told us that flesh and blood CANNOT inherit the kingdom of God.
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.” 1 Corinthians 15:50 NKJV
This air-breathing body is corrupted because it carries a broken genome that drives our selfish impulses – the impulse to sin. (I say it this way because it is the only thing that makes any sense.) and Heaven has no corruption in it, which is why flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. So, we, in these bodies, cannot enter into heaven. Obviously, something will have to change, and we will shed these earth suits. But until then, Jesus gives us the right to consider ourselves dead to sin. I get to practice that one daily.
“I surmise that those pre-crucifixion believers had not been redeemed until that day.”
It is often difficult to see some of these characters as righteous. Samson is called righteous, but he did many things outside of what we are told was God’s will. Strangely, it turns out it was God’s will, but we could barely see it until the last page of the narrative.
Lot was willing to give his daughters to the rabble pounding on his door, and then the angels had to drag Lot and his family out of town to safety. You, of course, noticed that the young men who had been engaged to Lot’s daughters did not come with them and died in the fires.
And what about the guy I consider the biker of the Bible, Jephthah? God called them all righteous.
When we use the word redeemed, there is a mountain of religious rules and regulations attached to it, and there is the assumption that we will walk away from the situation with a bright, shiny face. I can tell you that I walked away from a few things while dragging my exhausted behind out of there, and my face was NOT shining. I can look back now and see how God called me righteous, but few may have picked up on God’s plan and hope for me.
“They were the dead in Christ that rose first.”
As I pointed out above, it would seem that the people God called righteous were illegally held captive against their will. Since Christ preached to the captives, He changed their status to being in Christ. Thank God they were already dead because they got to rise first. I have nothing more than what I have proposed here to prove that, but what a great story.
“Where does that leave us? …”
If your life is hidden in Christ, then, at the moment, you are ALIVE in Christ and living inside an earth suit, and you get to deal with a thousand different feelings, most of which were a gift from God. Obviously, Satan managed to corrupt those feelings, but soon, we will shed those suits, put on our new robes, and spend eternity with the Father.
“The end will see a battle in which God destroys all his enemies…”
Revelation 19 shows us one of the last great battles, where Jesus comes riding back on a white horse, and He will have a sword coming out of His mouth. He is followed by the saints of heaven. This sword is the Word of God but notice something; you never see Him swing it, nor do you see the armies of heaven engaged in battle. That Word does all the killing and kills all who choose to fight against Him in seconds.
If He kills all infidels, who would be left to rule over?
Think about this: After killing the combatants, we are told that He will rule over the nations for a thousand years. I have used words like chose and combatants. I did so because not everybody chooses to fight and, therefore, lives on in the 1000 years.
“And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.” Revelation 21:24 NKJV)
The New Testament has the Old as its foundation, so here is a passage from the Old.
“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore. O house of Jacob, come and let us walk In the light of the LORD.”
Isaiah 2:2-5 NKJV)
He and those slaughtered saints from the seven years will sit on thrones in judgment during the 1000 years. How appropriate.
“Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4 NLT)
Okay, that battle is over. Who is thrown into the lake of fire?
Satan – for 1000 years, and the only two humans there, the antichrist and the false prophet; that’s it.
“And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.”
Revelation 19:20 NLT)
“and binds them a thousand years.”
No one human is bound by God.
Remember, all sins were forgiven on the cross, so NO ONE is being judged for sin. Now, there will be a time of judgment, but that judgment is based upon what you did with Jesus, and that happens at the great white throne (Which is the same judgment seat that we see when He judges between the sheep and the goats of Matthew 25. This is the only place and time this will happen.
Fast forward a thousand years. What happens next?
Satan is released and once again deceives the nations. Those poor fools, many of them, will attempt to surround the Holy City (The 1500-mile square city where all the righteous live) with the hope of killing us, Jesus, and God. God, on the other hand, kills all who join in this stunt with a quick fire bath. Those dead people join all the other dead from the beginning of time who have not gone up in the rapture (this is where Matthew 25 kicks in), and some are shown mercy (This group receiving mercy is probably not among those that Satan deceived at the end of the 1000 years.) Those not afforded mercy are then judged and thrown into the lake of fire, where they are forgotten and permanently separated from God.
Notice that I am NOT taking the time to explain how the nations would then enter the eternal kingdom. Keep in mind that they DO NOT get to bring their broken earth suits into God’s kingdom. Hint, there are those trees that provide healing for the nations, that line the river that comes from under the throne of God.
After the dust settles, all the rest of us join Jesus and the Father in eternity, never to be troubled again.
A Voice in the Wilderness 